BLANCHESTER – Playing with an outside shot at a division title, Blanchester blasted Batavia 41-21 Friday night at Barbour Memorial Field.
However, with Williamsburg’s 20-14 victory over Bethel-Tate Friday, the Clermont County Wildcats earned an outright SBC National Division Championship.
It was and back-and-forth first half. Batavia would score two straight touchdowns to tie the game at 21 with 4:08 left in the second quarter.
Blanchester would answer before the half. On the fourth play after Batavia tied the game, Nick Grogg rumbled 54 yards for a touchdown, sprung by a great Trenton Porterfield block. Blanchester led 28-21 at the half.
The Wildcats (3-6) pulled away in the second half. After Batavia punted on its opening drive of the third quarter, Blan marched 85 yards on 11 plays. Hunter Collier would finish the drive with a two-yard touchdown. Blan led 34-21.
Tristan Greene finished the scoring in the fourth with a fantastic 22-yard touchdown run, making several Bulldogs miss in the process. Blanchester led 41-21.
Batavia (2-7) simply couldn’t slow down the Blanchester rushing attack. Blan ran the ball on 51 of its 62 plays, gaining 364 yards.
There were two Wildcats over 100 yards and a third just shy. Greene had 156 yards rushing on 13 carries, Collier had 112 yards on 24 carries, and Grogg had 99 yards on seven carries.
The Bulldogs did most of their damage in the passing game, throwing for 299 yards. Quarterback Shaun Howe threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Stephens was his top target, catching five passes for 110 yards.
Blanchester’s defense didn’t allow much on the ground. Batavia had just 22 yards on 22 carries for the game.
Blanchester wraps up its regular season 7 p.m. Friday at Bethel-Tate.
SUMMARY
Oct. 23, 2015
@Barbour Memorial Field
BA 07.14.00.00…21
BL 14.14.06.07…41
1st Quarter
B – Nick Grogg 1-yard run (Jared Monhollen kick) 9:41
Ba – Shaun Howe 1-yard run (Joe Sickles kick) 3:33
B – Nick Grogg 31-yard pass to Dylan Miller (Monhollen kick) 59.5
2nd Quarter
B – Hunter Collier 3-yard run (Monhollen Kick) 11:57
Ba – Howe 3-yard pass to Shawn Adams (Sickles pass to Tyler Woods) 7:20
Ba – Howe 54-yard pass to CJ Britten (kick failed) 4:08
B – Grogg 54-yard run (Monhollen kick) 2:28
3rd Quarter
B – Collier 2-yard run (kick failed) 7:03
4th Quarter
B – Tristan Greene 22-yard run (Monhollen kick) 10:23
Team Stats
PLAYS: BA 62; B 62. FIRST DOWNS: BA 13; B 17. RUSHES-YARDS: BA 22-22; B 51-364. PASSING YARDS: BA 299; B 96. COMPLETIONS-ATTEMPTS-INTERCEPTIONS: BA 18-40-3; B 5-10-1. TOTAL YARDS: BA 321; B 460. PENALTIES: BA 5-46; B 9-78. FUMBLES-LOST: BA 1-0; B 0-0.
Individual Stats
Rushing (carries-yards): BA Shaun Howe 10-(-2) TD; Austin Maham 12-24. B Tristan Greene 13-156 TD; Nick Hopkins 1-5; Nick Grogg 7-99 2 TDs; Simon Latchford 6-(-8); Hunter Collier 24-112 2 TDs.
Passing (completions-attempts-interceptions): BA Howe 17-39-3 268 yards 2 TDs; Dylann Wagner 1-1-0 31 yards. B Greene 4-9-1 65 yards; Grogg 1-2-0 31 TD.
Receiving (catches-yards): BA Josh Stephens 5-110; Wagner 1-5; CJ Britten 1-54 TD; Maham 6-60; Shawn Adams 5-70 TD. B Quenton Miller 1-6; Grogg 1-36; Dylan Miller 3-54 TD.
